severe itching

[momgoddess]

I've had the same thing on and off throughout my pregnancy. I looked it up and it's really actually normal and common to have itching (for no apparent reason...no health problem or rash or other medically explained reason). It's just annoying.

[jessicalev8]

Originally Posted by CaliRoll The itch is worst at night. I didn't itch a ton this morning but as the day wears on it's getting worse, and that's WITH being on medication. Try cool showers and ice packs. Baths may dry your skin out so skip those. Even if you just itch a little bit in the morning, call your OB office and tell them specifically that you want to be tested for cholestasis. Make sure it's the bile salt test. Mine took about 3 days to come back. They did it last Tuesday afternoon and it was back Friday afternoon. At 37weeks, even without the test results, ask them to start you on Actigall/Urso, just for safety sake. I'm glad you're already getting NSTs on a regular basis. I really hope you don't have ICP! I wouldn't wish it on anyone. It just really bugs me that it's not taken more seriously by doctors and medical staff. If they tested for it more often, they'd probably find it's not nearly as rare as they think it is. The problem is that they don't test for it so of course they're not finding it. Can't find what you're not looking for, right? I would bet a lot of stillbirths are the result of ICP and they just aren't counted as such because mom's itching was blown off as normal. I wish you the best!!

i itch a lot this morning! lol it was pretty bad last night but i was able to sleep. when i woke up to use the bathroom i had a hard time falling back to sleep but it wasnt too bad. my feet and hands are bad this morning as well as my legs.

my hospital is really small, i wonder if theyll even know what that test is lol. guess ill find out!

[burnsis]

I'd definitely be worried about cholestasis. I thought I had it was DS1, and had them run a liver function test and something else. They thought I was crazy, and in the end, I probably was...LOL. I did not have itching nearly as bad as you describe.

But ICP does carry the risk of stillbirth, so it's worth getting checked out again by your OB. Keep pressing them until they give you all the tests you need to absolutely rule it out.

[CaliRoll]

Originally Posted by jessicalev8 i itch a lot this morning! lol it was pretty bad last night but i was able to sleep. when i woke up to use the bathroom i had a hard time falling back to sleep but it wasnt too bad. my feet and hands are bad this morning as well as my legs. my hospital is really small, i wonder if theyll even know what that test is lol. guess ill find out!

I really think my current OB tested my bile salts just to humor me, which is fine as long as he ran the test. He was probably pretty surprised it came back positive. My last OB had no idea what I was talking about. I have an old thread in Pregnancy from Feb 2010 where I was in OP's same position. Everything turned out ok but it scares me to think how wrong it could've gone.

[jessicalev8]

They are going to do a full liver panel again and the bile salt test! I'm so glad I bugged them on this. I itch so bad, I just want some relief!!


Hopefully it doesn't take a week to get the results.

Eta - the itching has gotten worse. I was up all last night because of it it seems to mostly be on my feet and legs during the day and everywhere at night. Thankfully I'm already doing 2 nsts a week so at least we'll know if baby is under any stress.

[luvsgreen]

I hope you get it figured out! Someone from my DDC had something like this last year when we were getting close to our due dates. She had to be induced. Whitneywalters. Maybe you can PM her. Hope it turns out to be nothing serious!

[burnsis]

glad they have done the necessary tests! hope it's nothing!

[CaliRoll]

Originally Posted by jessicalev8 They are going to do a full liver panel again and the bile salt test! I'm so glad I bugged them on this. I itch so bad, I just want some relief!! Hopefully it doesn't take a week to get the results. Eta - the itching has gotten worse. I was up all last night because of it it seems to mostly be on my feet and legs during the day and everywhere at night. Thankfully I'm already doing 2 nsts a week so at least we'll know if baby is under any stress.

So good to hear they're taking it seriously and running the right tests! I'm at the OB right for my first NST and to find out when we might induce.

Sarna lotion really does help with the itch. I slather it every night and mid-day if the itching is bothering me.

[jessicalev8]

i dont think im gonna be able to do this for much longer. the itching has gotten worse, i am literally making my skin raw. i havent slept in days and this morning i cant stop crying bc of the pain. i cant even sit bc my hips and back itch and it feels like little needles poking me. i just dont know what to do!

ive never heard of sarna lotion, would it be at walmart? thats the only store we have in town. i tried regular lotion last night and it burned bc my skin is so raw.

[CaliRoll]

Originally Posted by momgoddess I've had the same thing on and off throughout my pregnancy. I looked it up and it's really actually normal and common to have itching (for no apparent reason...no health problem or rash or other medically explained reason). It's just annoying.

Itching of this level, especially on the palms of your hands and soles of your feet, is NOT normal. Cholestasis is a dangerous issue and is horribly under-reported and undertreated because so many pregnant women are told it's normal. Yes, it's normal to have dry skin or mildly itchy skin while pregnant. It is NOT normal to scratch holes in yourself or itch/scratch to the point of insomnia or horrible pain. I've been through this twice and it's so frustrating to be told "it's just annoying" when every fiber of your being tells you it's more than just an annoyance.

Originally Posted by jessicalev8 i dont think im gonna be able to do this for much longer. the itching has gotten worse, i am literally making my skin raw. i havent slept in days and this morning i cant stop crying bc of the pain. i cant even sit bc my hips and back itch and it feels like little needles poking me. i just dont know what to do! ive never heard of sarna lotion, would it be at walmart? thats the only store we have in town. i tried regular lotion last night and it burned bc my skin is so raw.

Wal-Mart may have it. We just lucked out and the first place DH looked had it. It's got menthol and some other stuff in it that really cools the skin. It's the only non-rx thing that takes the edge off for me.

Ask your OB if they will prescribe the Actigall/Urso as a preventative measure until the bile salt test comes back. It has helped me and cuts the stillbirth risk a bit. I still itch but not as bad. Between the Actigall and the Sarna, the itching is down to a tolerable level. I did start taking 1000mg of EPO twice a day to get the delivery ball rolling. Even with the medication and diet changes, it's obvious to me that my bile salt levels aren't going down enough. TMI but my urine is getting darker every day, even with the amount of water I drink, and my BM has gotten lighter in color.

What you're describing is what I went through with my last pregnancy and the only thing that solved it (since my OB wouldn't test or treat, grrr) was to deliver the baby. You're so close to delivering, I really hope they either get on the ball and treat you or the baby is born so you can get some relief.